MP struts his 'Strictly' stuff for charity

By A Piper reporter

A Strictly Come Prancing event featuring Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine MP Stuart Donaldson has raised more than £15,000 for charity.

The politician swapped his suit for a cowboy hat and boots to take part in a dance-off with his stage partner Kay Minellas against 10 other couples at Ardoe House Hotel.

Proceeds from the event have gone to the Forget Me Not charity.

The pair couldn’t see off the challenge of eventual winners Rocky Horror and second placed Absolutely Fabulous, but the MP showed he could rival former Shadow Chancellor and Strictly Come Dancing star Ed Balls at strutting his stuff on the dance floor.

With 11 couples entering the annual event, a record-breaking tally was raised to help the Banchory-based charity to support those living with dementia and their families.

Mr Donaldson said: “I was delighted to take part in Strictly. It was great fun and I had a fantastic time rehearsing with Kay to try and perfect our jive dance routine.

“We got a mark of 37 out of 40 from the judges so we must have done something right."

He added: "Kay was brilliant and I have to take my (cowboy) hat off to Amanda and Martin who were superb.

"But the real winner was the fantastic Forget Me Not charity which does wonderful things for those living with dementia and their families. This is a charity I’ll continue to support as much as I can in the future.”